A simple act of friendship
by QuietlyFlailing
Summary: Charles knew that it was simply something a friend would do for another friend.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: A severe case of writer's block and procrastination has meant it has been far too long since I wrote anything so I thought I should just go for it._

_Summary: __Charles knew that it was simply something a friend would do for another friend._

_Disclaimer: I do not own these wonderful characters otherwise their story-lines would be far more developed._

The whole ordeal had drained her. She tried to put on a façade of having moved on from it. Admittedly, it was working pretty well as most of the staff were too preoccupied with their own ideas but he could tell. He watched as the many times she slowly and reluctantly lifted herself from her chair in the morning using more effort than she used to need. It was as if she was forcing herself against an invisible pressure that was pressing down on her. She continued to reprimand O'Brien and fought with Mrs. Patmore over the key to the store cupboard but the bite seemed to be gone from her voice. Charles was not one for sentiment and emotions but right now he was finding it harder and harder to growing worries in his mind. He knew that the second he gave in to a little emotion that a torrent would follow. He had firmly shut the door t any feelings he had after his years as a Cheerful Charlie because he had realised that it was emotions that made a person make the wrong decisions in life. He also know that with the soaring highs of excitement and lo..lust came the crushing lows of disappointment and rejection. He had suffered enough miserable lows to know that the highs had never been worth it. In his mind, the door to his heart was made out of solid but he also knew that, as he watched her in her weakened state, the cracks were beginning to show.

If he was completely honest with himself those cracks had started to appear on the first day she had first arrived at Downton. He wishes he could deny the memory but the image of her piercing blue eyes cuts through his denial as he remembers her slightly flushed face as she greeted him in her Scottish burr being much more pronounced than it is today. At times, it returns if she is angry or embarrassed and part of him wishes that he got to hear it more often but he knows thoughts like that but he knows thoughts like that cause him nothing but trouble. He also fondly remembers how their respective roles as heads of the downstairs have led to them spending many evenings together and forming a friendship that he treasures too much to throw away on a whim. No matter how much his heart aches because of it. He knows that it is his own fault that he has to act this way because he threw away whatever chance he had had before. In reality, he has long given up the pretence that he is happier this way but has come to accept that it is what he deserves.

He continues to watch her throughout the day and realises that today the cloud that hangs over her head is heavier than it has ever been. He can barely bring himself to look her in the eye because he sees is her once radiant delight replaced with sadness. It is at the end when she declines his offer of tea in his sitting room that he knows that he must do something. He knows that is what a friend would do. It would just be an act of friendship, he tells himself, whilst thoughts of the smile that might return to her face warm his heart.

_A/N So I hope you enjoyed my return to writing fanfiction. I have a few ideas as to where this story is going and how it is going to get there but I am open to your suggestions so feel free to leave as many as you wish._

_Reviews really are lovely. They are a bit like receiving a gold star when you are at school and I do like gold stars. :D_


	2. Chapter 2

_I was so grateful for all the feedback that I received on the first chapter. So here comes the next instalment and I hope you are as forthcoming with your responses._

_Disclaimer: I still do not own these characters._

He had spent the whole night tossing and turning. He was trying to think of what to do in order to make her feel better but without her feeling like he was doing anything which was too much out of the ordinary. He did not want her to feel uneasy or to notice that he was really trying to make her day better. He was partly afraid of her noticing but he was also a little afraid that she would not be happy about it. Slowly but surely, he started to put the pieces of the puzzle together in his plan. As each little idea had popped into his mind, he found himself getting a little bit more excited although he put it down to being happy to working it out.

When it was finally time for him to rise, the butterflies in his stomach were impossible to ignore. He was practically shaking with the excitement of it all but as he buttoned his collar; he was back in butler-mode. He reminded himself that he must hold himself like he would on any other day even if it seemed to be taking an awful lot more effort than usual. He strode purposefully out into the hallway and practically mowed her down in his eagerness. He laid his hand on her shoulder to steady her.

''I'm terribly sorry about that, Mrs. Hughes''

He looked her in the eye as he said and she seemed to have a dazed look on her face but she quickly cleared her head. He only realised then that his hand was still on her shoulder. He quickly removed it,

''I was wondering, Mrs Hughes, if you would join me in my sitting room at the end of the day as there are a few issues regarding the rota that I wish to discuss with you''

'Nothing too serious I hope, Mr Carson'' a hint of anxiety present in her voice.

'' No, Mrs Hughes, nothing that I feel will be too complicated to sort out but I fear with the busy day ahead of us that we will only have enough time to discuss these matters at the end of the day''

''Well, in that case Mr Carson, I will look forward to resolving this at the end of the day''

However, her voice didn't sound as convinced as her words.

The day had been just as eventful as predicted. It wasn't that anything had gone array but there just didn't seem to be any time when he wasn't overseeing the footmen or polishing the silver or watching over his Lordship. She had caught his eye once or twice during the day and it broke his heart because she just seemed sad. It was not that she looked like she would cry or anything but she just seemed to not getting the same sort of enjoyment that she used to get from her work. He had always been fascinated and frankly envious of, the twinkle in her eye as she completed a task or played the part of the stern housekeeper to the younger maids. Even when she was actually angry about something, that spark was still there. It was something he couldn't put his finger on but simply, there was just _something _about her in those moments. She captivated him although that was a rather too dramatic word for it. In his mind, he just liked that _his friend_ was happy, as any ordinary friend would.

When he finally retired to his sitting room at the end of the day, he was exhausted. The combination of anticipation and nerves along with the work throughout the house over the course of the day had taken it out of him. Now in his more fatigued state, the doubts were starting to kick in and he was starting to lose his nerve. _Maybe this isn't the best idea, maybe a more subtle way of sorting things out might work, maybe he should just keep his nose out of her business, maybe she would just feel better in a few days, he was probably over-thinking it anyway, he was noticing things too much and giving them too much significance…_

His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar knock on his door as she entered. She looked as exhausted as he felt.

''I hope you don't mind Mr Carson but I was wondering if we could just get to the matter at hand as I am rather exhausted and would like to retire to bed as soon as possible''

He wanted to protest but the grey pallor of her face was impossible to argue with.

''I must admit Mrs Hughes that I too am rather exhausted so perhaps that is best'' It was now or never ''I have noticed that both you and I are due our half days off within the next week''

She nodded slowly, not entirely sure where this was headed.

He knew he would have to say it all at once or he would chicken out.

''I was wondering that if the weather held up, that is to say, I was planning on going into the town for a walk and perhaps having lunch there, and if you would like to accompany me, that is if it suited you and if you had no other more important plans for your day, to share lunch perhaps'' He finally paused for breath.

She didn't answer him straight away so he dared to look at her face. ''I realise Mrs Hughes that you probably had your day already planned and I'm sorry for infringing''

''Actually Mr Carson, that sounds like a far more enjoyable prospect as I myself was planning on heading into town to have a small break from here for a short while''

He smiled, feeling very relieved.

''Was this the only issue that you wished to resolve, Mr Carson?''

''Um, yes it was and I am glad that it is sorted.'' He felt a little silly for having made it sound like a long conference was going to be needed, ''and I am looking forward to our lunch''. _Maybe that came out wrong, she might think I mean something else.._

''I am also, Mr Carson,'' She smiled, the first one that actually looked like a smile, albeit only a slight one but he could tell '' but I really must be getting some rest now so I shall bid you Goodnight''.

''Goodnight to you too, Mrs Hughes'' She went to leave ''and I hope you sleep well'' She turned at that comment as if to ask him something but when she looked at him, she just smiled and left. _She definitely wasn't blushing._

_There we have it. I hope you are being kept interested. Thanks for following along so far and I would love to hear what you thought of this chapter. :)_


	3. Chapter 3

_Thank you very much to those of you who have reviewed and set alerts for this story. It is very encouraging. This is a slightly shorter chapter but I felt that if I were to continue with the next part of the story that it would be too long and contain too much so you will just have to wait and see if you agree._

_Disclaimer: I still have gained ownership of any of these wonderful characters._

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Charles had been a bundle of nerves. He had kept the veneer up when he was carrying out his duties throughout the household but inside was a whole other story. It had been a Wednesday evening when they had decided on their outing and the following morning that in a brief conversation that Sunday would be the most appropriate day for them both to be off. He couldn't understand why he felt so flustered especially since there wasn't anything going wrong.

He spent every night going over his plan for Sunday and how he was going to make the little pieces of the puzzle fit together. This started with him getting Mrs. Patmore on his side, a task which was made much more difficult that this usually meant disagreeing with Mrs. Hughes. This was a very fine line to walk at the best of times but since he was so concerned that Mrs. Hughes would decide to cancel their plans. He chose his moments carefully; an extra compliment here and there and he knew that his request of her on Saturday wouldn't cause too much of a stir.

'Mrs. Patmore, I was wondering if I could make a little request of you. I was hoping you could put together a little picnic basket of the leftover food from today's lunch'

'Will this be just for yourself, Mr. Carson, or would you prefer if I added a little extra in case you have some company since Mrs. Hughes is also going to be off tomorrow, isn't she?' She was grinning from ear to ear.

_Had she figured him out? _

'Well, that would be a good, I suppose' He was blushing furiously and so excused himself to go and calm himself down.

He spent the next half an hour polishing silver to distract him from the butterflies that had formed in his stomach. He finally made his way back into the kitchen to check on the picnic basket and was delighted to find that Mrs. Patmore had put together a delighted lunch. Perhaps he would have to compliment her more in future to make up for this gesture.

He retired to his room that night as he was too nervous to spend the evening with Mrs. Hughes. He couldn't sleep a wink. If he was honest, he was just excited as he was nervous. As much as he wanted to get to the bottom of what was bothering her but he was, secretly, just looking forward to spend time with her on her own away from the house. Over the years, he had always enjoyed listening to her opinions especially when she was truly passionate about something. This is what he hoped would come back tomorrow.

He cursed himself for over-thinking everything. This was his problem, he always tried to control all the little details and then if one little thing went differently to how he had planned it, he would end up making a rash decision. These sorts of decisions had occurred all through his 'years of stupidity'.

He got up after enjoying watching the sun rising. It was one of his favourite things to do because he always found himself calmed by it.

He made his way out into the hall and issued the orders to the various members of the staff before getting himself ready to leave. He hadn't seen her all morning but one of younger maids had told him that she had been sorting some sheets in one of the rooms in the west wing of the house. He was hoping that she wouldn't get sidetracked by any of these tasks.

His worries were dissipated when he was greeted the smell of lavender. She must have washed her hair the night before because he had guessed many years ago that she must use lavender for her hair as he could always tell when she had changed her hair slightly. He turned to find her adjusting her hat. She looked breathtaking apart from the still slightly grey pallor of her face.

'Shall we set off, Mrs. Hughes?'

She smiled.

'Of course, Mr. Carson'.

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_So the next chapter will be the day out and we will have to see if Mr. Carson gets his wish or perhaps more._

_I really appreciate your reviews as they help me gauge your reactions to my ideas. I also enjoy reading your ideas and may even add them in if they are more fun than my own. _

_Thank you for reading. :)_


	4. Chapter 4

_Here it is. _

_Disclaimer: They are still not mine but I treasure them as if they were my own._

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Once they had made their way off the Downton estate, Mr. Carson offered Mrs. Hughes his arm and they made their way to the village in companionable silence. This silence gave Charles to think. He had never thought anything of the fact that he would so easily offer Mrs. Hughes his arm and she always so easily slipped her arm into his arm even though he would never dream of doing this with anyone else. It would not have been proper. Maybe it wasn't proper for them to do this but somehow it never felt that way. He hastened to admit it but they just seemed to fit together.

He was grateful for the sunshine that was accompanying them on their walk. It was a lovely spring day and as they approached the village, he spotted that one of the benches that seemed to line the edge of the village was free.

'I don't know about you, Mrs. Hughes, but I think that we would be silly to not take advantage of the weather and that free bench to enjoy our little lunch'

'Well, we wouldn't want to be silly, would we?' She said with an arched eyebrow. He enjoyed the humour that was coming back into her Scottish brogue 'Although I don't think I could last on just a little lunch'

He laughed; a full-bodied laugh and he couldn't contain it. It was a wonderful feeling and this gave him the confidence he had been lacking.

They set themselves up and started to unpack everything.

'I'm glad to see your compliments were worth it because I'm famished'

_She'd known_. He looked at her to see a coy grin on her face. _Well if that's the way she wanted to play it.._

'Well, Mrs. Hughes, I don't know what you mean. I simply asked Mrs. Patmore very kindly if she would out _her unmatched skill_ to work by giving the best of the leftovers'

Her laughter rang out over the quiet country air. It was a wonderful thing to hear. It had been so long since he had heard laugh like this. It gave him hope that she was going to pull through whatever had been holding her back.

They settled into the lovely spread that was their little picnic. He knew that he would only be able to ask her the questions that he had spent the last few days thinking about whilst they were both distracted by the food. He stared down into his hands as he began to finally speak his thoughts.

'Mr. Hughes, I must admit that I had an ulterior motive for asking you to accompany me today and I hope you won't feel me to intrusive but it is just that I know that something has been bothering you, it's not that it has affected your work but I can see the it has had on you, when I look into your eyes I can see the sadness and I would just like you to know that you can tell me whatever it is that has been bothering you'

He finally allowed himself to look at her. She was wiping the tear that had escaped her eyes. He wanted to reach and take her hand so badly but knew that it would probably scare her. When she knew he wasn't going to continue without some sort of response from her, she sort of snorted.

'Nothing gets past you, Mr. Carson, does it?' Bitterness rife in her tone 'Oh, it's nothing that I haven't felt before. I suppose it has lasted a little longer this time but this last week I have started to feel a bit better'

'I can't help but feel there is something else that you're not saying and trust me, I know how devastating it can be to feel you have to keep something to yourself'

This seemed to floor her because she didn't answer him straightaway. A silence hung in the air that he didn't feel like breaking and eventually it her voice that was the brave one.

'Mr. Carson I have appreciated the way you have always treated me like a friend through all these years of service but I must admit that going through the trail made me realise what I have missed'

'And what's that?' It was what he was dying to find out and was hanging on her every word.

'It doesn't matter now'

'Now, you and I both know that is not true Elsie' He had said her name. He hadn't meant to but it just came out. He knew he was asking her a very personal question and it would have been ludicrous to use her formal. Perhaps the time for formality had passed. Deep down Charles was losing his battle against his true emotions.

'How Charles? How do _you_ know how _I_ feel?'

'Well actually don't know how you felt but I know how I feel and I know that I am not very good at being honest about how I feel and I know that it is not a good feeling! That's all'

'Well how do you feel Charles?'

_That was it_. The question he had dreaded. Today was meant to be about her and somehow it had ended up being about him. He had always avoided this so successfully in the past but maybe now was the right time to tell her. They were away from house so no-one else would have known what he said and she could deny it if she wanted.

'Well for a very long time I tried to deny it and pretend it wasn't real but every day I am grateful that I get to spend it with you and our meetings at the end of the day are when I am most at ease. Selfishly, it was when you decided that you could no longer meet with me that I was spurred into action. I wanted to make you feel better but I also wanted to get back to that. I suppose, if I am honest, you are the only person who I have felt that I loved and even as we were walking over here, I couldn't help but feel we fit together. I'm sorry if this makes you feel uncomfortable, you can pretend that I didn't say anything if you wish'

'Charles don't you dare suggest such a thing. I'm just, well; I don't know what to say. I never thought that you felt like this, that you could even feel the same' He stared at her in disbelief. He held his hand out to her and she took it in her own. The tears began to fall but it was tears of relief 'If I am honest, the reason I have been so down is because I just wished that would give me a hug, it's silly I know but I just wanted someone to comfort me but you were the only that I knew could do that'

He tentatively moved beside her and put his arm around her. Both still somewhat stunned by their respective revelations. _The question was what to do next, Charles thought_.

'Elsie, maybe this seems silly but I'm old-fashioned and it has been a very long time since I've let myself act this way. I was wondering if you would let me court you'

'Well, I thought that was what you had been doing but perhaps it's time for the two of us to just stop thinking about everything so much and maybe just talk more often and more honestly whatever that means' She snuggled into him as she said this and he didn't know what to do with himself. He hadn't felt this happy in such a long time. There was only one thing he could think to say.

'I love you Elsie' He couldn't believe he actually said it. She turned to look at him. It seemed like she was studying him for an entirety and then she brought her face so impossibly close to him. He closed the space between them and their lips met. He couldn't believe it but quickly he couldn't even think as he gave in to his heart.

Finally.

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**The End.**

_I am so very grateful to those of you that have followed this story and reviewed it. I can't believe I finally wrote a multi-chaptered story and finished it. Your reviews really helped and I hope you enjoyed the ending!_

_Thanks!_


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